John Fullbright
Okemah, Oklahoma is no stranger to legends. Sharing the same hometown town of Woody Guthrie, John Fullbright has quickly gained popularity and notoriety enough to earn the Bugle Boy Foundation’s third coveted Talent Trust award. The Foundation provided key support for Fullbright’s release of From the Ground Up, which received a Grammy nomination for 2012 Best Americana Album.
Fullbright says he is incredibly grateful to the Foundation for selecting him for the honor.
“It helps exponentially for somebody like me that is rolling down the road in a mini-van, trying to sell these songs. Money is tight and you can’t just rely on record sales; you have to get to as many shows as you can, so this is HUGE for me…a big help financially.”
Playing piano since the age of 5, Fullbright–now 23–has just released From the Ground Up after being discovered and mentored by Greg Johnson, founder of the iconic music venue, The Blue Door.
Armed with a calendar full of show dates, Fullbright is putting his early influence of piano players Jimmy Webb, Randy Newman and Tom Waits to good use. “It’s really great when you’re respected for working hard in any profession. It makes it all worthwhile and I’m getting a taste of that now.” And the one thing that the young sensation wants his listeners to know about his music? “That I mean it.”
“I have no doubt that in a short time, John Fullbright will be a household name in American music.”–Jimmy Webb
Update: John Fullbright was a 2013 Grammy Nominee
John Fullbright’s career continues to soar, enabling him to have already returned 100 percent of his financial assistance to the Talent Trust. Fullbright used his Bugle Boy backing to help fund From the Ground Up and says the Talent Trust helped immensely.
“I got a record out of it. I got a record that I am very proud of- and [one] I didn’t have to lose sleep over because of funding. And then the next thing that happened was the record got nominated for a Grammy.”
